FA Community Shield

5 Aug 2018 - 3:00 PM

Manchester City were runaway winners of the Premier League last season and they certainly picked up where they left off on a scorching day at Wembley to lift the 2018 FA Community Shield. Pep Guardiola’s men enjoyed the better of this year’s contest and sealed a comfortable victory thanks to a brace from Sergio Aguero, City’s all-time record goalscorer and the man with more strikes under the Arch in a Sky Blue shirt than anyone else in their history.

It didn’t take City long to get going and they broke the deadlock after little more than ten minutes. A move which was started at the back with a neat interchange of passing between John Stones, Kyle Walker and Fernandinho ended with the ball at the feet of 18-year-old Phil Foden. The youngster drove at the Chelsea defence before slipping a pass to Aguero, who did the rest by driving a low left-footer past former City team-mate Willy Caballero and into the bottom corner. And he added his second of the day just shy of the hour mark, finishing off a lightning counter attack with a low finish past Caballero following an incisive pass from Bernardo Silva.

Both Guardiola and his opposite number Maurizio Sarri took the opportunity to give youth a chance, with two of England’s U17 World Cup winners enjoying a run out and also no doubt impressing their managers. For City, it was Foden who caught the eye with his close control, quick passing, movement and intelligence perfectly suited to his team’s style of play. An assist for Aguero’s opener won’t have done his chances any harm either. And for Chelsea, Callum Hudson-Odoi continued his first pre-season with the first team in impressive style by causing problems for City's back line with his pace and direct approach in the first half. There were also second-half substitute appearances for City’s Brahim Diaz and Claudio Gomes and Chelsea’s Tammy Abraham.

Aside from the on-pitch action, the new season’s traditional curtain-raiser also has a long history of celebrating the English game’s grassroots heroes as well as raising money for charity and community programmes. At half time, winners of the inaugural FA & McDonald’s Grassroots Football Awards were invited onto the pitch to receive their awards from England legend Sir Geoff Hurst. This year, tickets for the season’s traditional curtain-raiser were distributed to a number of community groups. In addition, all clubs who participated in last season’s Emirates FA Cup competition proper will receive £2000 to distribute to a nominated charity, with both Chelsea and Manchester City receiving a further £25,000 for the same purpose. All other profits from the event will be distributed to a number of charitable causes later on this year.